Stop talking over our heads! A challenge to the ‘we know best’ culture

Having searched, in vain, for an appropriate retirement village that would suit my husband, myself and three dogs I commenced in-depth research on the subject of housing for those of us who are approaching what is euphemistically termed “the evening of life.” It was a pretty horrid experience so I, and three others, started to develop a new approach to housing. 

I also discovered Housing LIN.  Delight – there are people thinking the same way as my partners and I concerning developing functionally efficient housing for diverse requirements. I joined up and started to read the articles on offer.

Having read the blog on the development at Longbridge, I commented on the Housing LIN website that I found it “remarkable that anyone considered it remarkable” (deliberately so phrased for added emphasis) that we, the client group, should like to be consulted about how we want to live and what sort of homes we would appreciate. Having been asked to expand my thoughts on why consultation is not the norm I have produced several reasons that I feel to be part of the problem.

History plays a large part. Retirement/care services have their roots in a past when anything at all that was warm and habitable was more than acceptable after years of deprivation; but the social care system tended to be prescriptive, not interactive, therefore there was no expectation of consultation. This situation has long prevailed and the view “we know best” from councils and developers still predominates.

We are not regarded as productive members of society, a view promulgated by some politicians and the media. There is gross underestimation of our capability, intelligence and contribution to society despite the fact that we help rear the grandchildren while parents go to work; frequently fund the family on the housing ladder and are extremely productive: many still work and one in ten new businesses are started up by pensioners. However, that doesn’t lead to us being consulted on important issues that affect us directly.

Despite being a rather large chunk of the population, there are fewer charitable organisations for the age group than for young peoples’ charities. Unicef, has a £2.7bn budget, but there is no UN organisation for the elderly, nor a specifically designated UK Ministry. So, talks are held over our heads, attended by Age UK and Help the Aged etc – but are any pensioners actually present to give their view? If they are can someone invite me, please?

Most services, retail and advertising are heavily biased towards the young and, naturally, we ourselves generally put the young first in the majority of situations. It is the norm. The media in general has little that involves our age group in reasoned debate or discussion on issues that affect us, despite the constant clamour about what a problem we have become.

We are not accustomed to standing up and making ourselves heard. There is a tendency to “just get on with it” rather than speak out. It’s cultural. Make a fuss? Heaven forbid! So, maybe, some of this is our own fault. However, as change must happen to solve the knotty problem we are constantly hearing about then we must take action.

So what can we do?

We need, as an age group, to force change for ourselves through any means available: MPs, councillors, housing suppliers and the media. We have the knowledge, skills and technology available in the UK to create integrated care/retirement communities that are productive, hum with energy and are an asset to the area in which they exist.  We are more than able to construct attractive, inexpensive and, importantly, structurally flexible homes that are far less costly to run than conventional bricks and mortar offerings. It is within our generation that the understanding, experience and knowledge required to enable such communities to be created, developed and managed resides. These new approaches would also meet the government’s requirements of economical, ecologically sound and socially appropriate housing development. We need to shout louder, but equally it must be acknowledged by those in the position to enable change to occur that we have the right to be invited to participate fully in developments.

Difficult to achieve? Not at all. The key to all this is consultation and communication and flexibility of approach on the part of local and central government. The major change required is that it becomes the rule and not, as it is at present, the exception.

"We have the knowledge, skills and technology available in the UK to create integrated care/retirement communities"

Caroline Attwood is in the process of forming “Atthome - The Advanced Community”, the objective of which is to lobby for, design and build cost efficient, ecologically designed, integrated retirement villages and care facilities for the 55+ age group.

Calling all blog contributors:
If you would like to share your ideas, views, and aspirations for a better housing for older people and people with long term conditions, contact us at: info@housinglin.org.uk (opens new window)